![]() ![]() ![]() No one likes a pay cut but our top cricketers appear to be mature enough to accept this is the best and inevitable way forward. Sacrifices are required yet those sacrifices are pinpricks compared to those experienced not only by lesser professionals, who may be losing their county contracts, but also to the many millions in the “real” world beyond. They are a tight-knit group and they recognise they are living in extraordinary times. The players, it seems, have responded in an appropriate manner to the cuts. Now the bubble, if not burst, has been punctured by the pandemic. The central contract system enabled the best players to be better prepared to play for England and as my colleague, Ali Martin, has outlined, better paid. It now seems positively neanderthal that Ian Botham in 1981 – when he was quite busy with England – played nine County Championship matches for Somerset and 18 one-day games. Moreover the advent of central contracts in 2000 enabled our best cricketers to have a bit of security and, more significantly, a bit of respite in between their international commitments. This cannot entirely be put down to my being a money-grabbing old curmudgeon, though there is no doubt that the modern professional cricketer at county as well as international level has been much better rewarded than those of three or four decades ago. The stock answer is: “I’m glad I played in my era,” and the explanation generally includes: “More characters, more camaraderie, more beer, more fun … no bleep tests, no all-seeing mobile phones, no social media … and admittedly not much money.” My response, however, has generally been that this is the best time to be a professional cricketer – at least until 2019. Old cricketers are often asked when has been the best time to play the game. The gravy train has slipped into reverse for the first time in 20 years. ![]()
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